During the Olympics we’ve talked a lot about the importance of cohesion in basketball and how it’s more of an advantage for other teams than it is for the US simply because they spend more time together.
Well for men’s basketball.
Women’s?
Different story.
Not only does the US have the best players in the world, many of them have played together for years. Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird are now 39 and 40 respectively and have been Olympic teammates for 20 years.
They also played together for Geno Auriemma at UConn. So did Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart and Tina Charles.